Welcome to Vol. 2, No. 2, our sixth issue, of ei8ht. It is my pleasure to announce an increase of eight pages in this edition. At the same time you will notice an increase in advertising on our pages, both amongst picture agency and photographer listings, as well as in stand-alone spreads in the magazine. These two developments are obviously directly related. Our commitment to you, our subscribers, is that as the publication grows in pagination we will invest the fruits of our success to ensure that the magazine continues to seek out new and exciting stories with each issue. Stories that, I believe, challenge and inspire our view of the world. For surely it is a feeling of inspiration contained within the images that shines through?

The positivity in Aubrey Wade’s photographs of Rosie (p. 44) allows us to see joy as well as pain and, in doing so, permits us to sense the terrible grief endured by the Lavender family at the loss of their beloved daughter. Similarly when we see migrant workers searching for new opportunities (p. 18) or peasants striving to subsist in order to save their very existence (p. 34), inspiration is present. Some readers may be stirred into action to support communities at risk, raise awareness of these issues and advocate change, whilst for others it is perhaps enough that they are moved by what they see.

In today’s visual climate it is a challenge for most people to identify a steadfast role for photography beyond that of “info-tainment”. News values wax and wane in proportion to agendas, perceived interests and budgets – one day images of killed British soldiers in the newspapers cause outrage, on another day published photographs of Saddam’s dead sons cause apparent celebration. Even Peter Beaumont, The Observer’s foreign affairs editor, ponders whether attempting to cover the Iraq conflict, as an non-embedded journalist, was worth the risk? (p. 16). I believe it is as, beyond the goal of sensational scoops and promotional exclusives, genuine and moving reportage invites us to take a greater interest in our world and be inspired.